Rail tie and fastening means



Oct. 29, 1935.

, RAIL TIE AND FASTENING MEANS C. ALEXIEF Filed June 8, 1954 2 Sheefs-Sheet 1 4/ex'l' j Invenior Oct. 29, 1935. Q x E I 2,019,377

RAIL TIE AND FASTENING MEANS Filed June 8, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFIQE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved railway tie construction embodying novel means for seating and detachably securing railway rails or tracks thereto.

Needless to say I am aware of the fact that the art to which the invention relates is highly developed and characterized by numerous types of tie and rail fastening constructions. Nothwithstanding this crowded status of the prior art I have evolved and produced an improved structure wherein the novelty resides in three distinct but subordinate parts.

First, I call attention to the hollow metal track rail supporting tie having internal anchoring and fastening means for the rails and constructed with a removable cover permitting access to be had to make adjustments.

Secondly I call attention to the improved rail chairs or cushioning and supporting member expressly designed to adequately support the rails and to compensate for shock and noises.

Third I call attention to the rail fastening and retention spikes and the special means associated therewith for retaining said spikes in effective rail fastening positions.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following description and drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view showing fragmentary portions of the rails fastened down on the improved cross-tie,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, the section being taken on irregular lines 2-2 of Figure 1, some parts being shown in section and other parts in elevation.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse or vertical sectional view taken approximately on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a wedge adjusting and sustaining plate or member.

Figure 5 is a detail elevational view of one of the rail anchoring spikes.

Figure 6 is a detail elevational view of a spike jointing element or bar.

Considering first the description of the improved railway cross tie it will be observed that this is denoted by the numeral I. It is of hollow metal construction and of longitudinally elongated box like form. The top thereof is provided with an elongated opening having fitted therein aremovable cover plate 8. This serves to permit access to be had. to the interior mechanical details to be hereinafter described. It will be observed that the' cover is held down by bolts or equivalent devices. One of the bolts is shown at 9 in Figure 2 and has its lowerthreaded end secured in a threaded boss Ill and its upper end extending through an aperture in the cover plate and provided with a removable cotter key and 5 washer arrangement I I to hold the cover in place and to permit it to be applied and removed as desired.

I next call attention to the track rails I2 and the special cushioning devices or chairs for acl0 commodating the base flange portion. By referring to the right hand end of Figure 2 a clear idea of these details may be had. First I call attention to the fact that the bottom of the tie is provided with an inclined riser I3 surrounded on 15 three sides by upstanding confining or retaining flanges I4. These flanges are adapted to accommodate the cup or receptacle I5 for the cushion ing block or filler I6. This may be of appropriate material but is generally or preferably of wood. 20 It will be noticed that it extends slightly above the top of the tie so as to allow the base flange of the rail to be seated thereon in proper elevated position. The means for raising and lowering the block holder I5 is in the form of a headed wedge II, this being interposed between the inclined riser I3 and the bottom of the holder. Obvi usly, as the wedge is shoved in or pulled out, the elevation or position of the block is regulated.

The means for shoving the wedge into place and holding it'there comprises a slidable thrust plate I8. One end thereof is engaged with the headed end of the wedge and the opposite end is formed with a slot I9 slidably surrounding the aforesaid cover retaining pin or bolt 9. Incidentally it will be noticed that the bolt is provided with a collar 20 held in place by a set screw 2 I, these features being located above the boss I0 and the plate I8 to stabilize the arrangement and guide the movement of the plate I8. The 40 plate is moved however by a set screw 22 passing through a lug 23 and abutting the adjacent edge of the plate and the numeral 24 is merely a lock nut for the set screw. Thus the wedge can be shoved in place to elevate the block and its retaining box I5 and thereafter locked in this position through the instrumentality of the thrust plate I8 and set screw arrangement. The cover 8 is of course removed to permit adjustment to be made.

I next call attention to the multiple spike arrangement wherein the spikes are arranged and adjusted to anchor the rail in place and tokeep it in constant contact with the block I6 while at the same time permitting it to have requisite longitudinal motion to take care of expansion and contraction. .Each spike assembly or arrangement is actually composed of a pair of duplicate devices. Inasmuch as they are duplicate in construction a description of one will sufiice for both and I therefore call attention to the left hand end portion of Figure 2 showing one of these devices. First I call attention to the complemental spikes 25. The headed ends are of conventional construction but the shanks extend down through slots in the top 01' the tie and are themselves formed.- with vertically elongated adapter slots 26. The two spikes are joined together by a connecting bar 27 of the form shown in Figure 6. It Will be observed that the end portions of this bar slip through the slots 25 and that said end portions are provided with,

keeper notches 28 which engage with the lower slotted end portions of the spikes. At the right hand end the bar 27 is provided with a retention seat 29 which serves in a manner to be described.

Interposed between the side of the top of the tie is a resilient clamping unit 30. This is formed from a bar of flexible metal of appropriate dimension which is bent between its ends as shown at 3!. The lower arm is straight as indicated at 32 and extends through the slots 26 and rests upon the upper edge of the bar 27. The hooked end portion 33 is provided with a detent 34 which fits into the seat 29 to avoid unnecessary displacement or sliding of the arm 32 on the bar 27. The upper arm portion 35 is bent up and shaped so that its intermediate part forms a bend and said bend is resiliently engageable with the under 01 the tie. The extremity or free end 36 is merely flared up to provide the desired compensating and self-adjusting properties. Obviously, both of the arms 32 and 35 extend through the slots and this permits the unit 30 to serve as a space take up device andyieldable retainer. It forces the jointed lower end portions of the spikes down and keeps them in place against upward movement. At the same time it provided the requisite resiliency permitting longitudinal shifting of the rail to compensate for expansion and contraction. Briefly the spike assemblage comprises a pair of spikes extending down through openings in the top of a hollow tie with means connecting the lower ends together and with resilient means interposed between the latter means and top of the tie to prevent upward lifting of the spikes and to at the same time compensate for desired resilient properties.

As before intimated novelty is based on the use of a hollow cover equipped tie with rail chair means on the interior at opposite ends to provide the desired cushioning support for the rail. The latter means relies for novelty on the inclined riser l3 having the retaining flanges M, the wedge l7 and thrust plate 58, wherein the box and block l5 rests on the wedge but are held in place by the flanges M. Cooperable with this is the pin or bolt 9 which serves as a stabilizing and retaining member for the thrust plate 58. Then too it is predicted that the spike assemblage is ingenious and somewhat of an innovation. This is especially adapted for a chair construction of the type just described in that it allows the spikes to be disposed on opposite sides of the box l5. Moreover all parts are easily accessible from the interior of the tie when the cover plate 8 is removed.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to bar 2'! and the underside of the top -part low track rail tie formed at its top with an opening, a cushioning block adjustable vertically through said opening, a box-like receptacle for said block, and means on the interior of said tie for raising and lowering said receptacle, said means embodying an inclined riser having marginal retaining flanges for the lower base portion of the receptacle, and an adjusting andretaining wedge interposed between said receptacle and riser.

2. In a structure of the class described, a hollow track rail tie formed at its top with an opening; a cushioning block adjustable vertically through said opening, a box-like receptacle for said block, and means on the interior of said tie for raising and lowering said receptacle, said means embodying an inclined riser having marginal retaining flanges for the base portion of the receptacle, an adjusting andretaining wedge interposed between said receptacle and riser, a thrust plate engageable with the wedge, and retaining and adjusting means for said thrust plate.

3. In a structure of the class described, in combination, a hollow cross tie having'a hand slot in its top and cover plate therefor, a cover retaining bolt secured to the plate and anchored in said tie, an inclined riser formed on the interior of the bottom of said tie and provided with upstanding retaining flanges, a wedge adjustable on said riser, a thrust plate engageable with the headed end of the wedge, said thrust plate being provided with a slot, said bolt extending through said slot, and an adjustable set screw for said thrust plate.

4.. In a structure of the class described, in combination, a hollow cross tie having a hand slot in its top, a cover plate therefor, a vertical cover retaining bolt secured to said plate and anchored in said tie, an inclined riser formed on the interior of the bottom of said tie and provided with upstanding retaining flanges, a wedge adjustable on said riser, a thrust plate engageable with the headed end of the wedge, Said thrust plate being provided with a slot, said bolt extending through said slot, an adjustable set screw for said thrust plate, a box like receptacle seated on said wedge, a block fitted in said receptacle, said block constituting a cushioning support and shock absorbing device extending through and beyond an opening in the top of the tie.

5. In a structure of the class described, a hollow rail tie, a pair of railfastening spikes extending down through openings in said tie and into the interior, said spikes having vertically slotted shank portions, a connecting bar extending through said slots and having keeper notches engageable with the slotted lowerv ends thereof to fasten the two spikes together.

6. In'a structure of the class described, a hollow rail tie, a pair of rail fastening spikes extending down through openings in said tie and into the interior, said spikes having vertically slotted shank portions, a connecting bar extending through said slots and having keeper notches engageable with the slotted lower ends thereof to fasten the two spikes together, and a resilient space take-up and retaining device extending through the slots in said spikes and including resilient portions engageable with the top of the tie to provide the desired resilient compensating results.

'7. In a rail fastening spike assembly, a unit embodying a pair of complemental spikes, a connecting bar for the lower slotted ends having keeper notches engageable with said ends, and a resilient retaining device cooperable with said bar, said device extending through said slots and having a straight arm portion engageable with said bar, and a curved arm portion adapted for engagement with the complemental part of the tie.

, 8. In a rail tie and fastening structure of the class described, in combination, a hollow track rail tie formed in its top with a hand opening permitting access to be had to the interior, and further formed with a cushioning block aperture adjacent one end, a cushioning block adjustable vertically through said aperture, a box-like receptacle for said block located in said tie directly beneath said aperture, hand controlled means on the interior of said tie for raising and lowering the receptacle and block as a unit, said means being accessible by way of the hand opening in the top, a pair of rail fastening spikes extending down through passages in the top of said tie and into the interior of the tie, said spikes having vertically elongated slotted portions, the aforesaid receptacle having one side spaced from an adjacent wall of the tie, said spikes depending into said restricted space, a connecting bar extending through the slots and having separable connection at its ends with the slotted lower ends to join the two spikes together for cooperative retention of the rail when seated on said block, and a resilient space take-up and retaining device extending through the slots and said spikes and including a resilient portion engageable with the underside of the top of the tie to provide the requisite resilient compensating action between the adjustable block and said slotted spikes, said 20 resilient space take-up and retaining device being confined in the restricted space before men-' tioned and being accessible through the same hand opening, whereby to permit the desired make for proper seating of the rail and subsequent retention thereof on the block and tie.

CONSTAN'IIN ALEiHEF.

continuity of coaction between parts to 25 

